Draft-gear.



J. F. GOURSON.

DRAFT GEAR.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.13. 1913.

Patented May 5, 1914.

2 SHEETS--SHBBT- l.

J. F. COURSON.

DRAFT GEAR.

APPLICATION FILED IAN.13, 1913.

a 1 a@ j a 4 JOHN F. COURSON, 0F PITCAIRN, PENNSYLVANIA,

DRAFT-GEAR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 5, l1914.

Application filed January 18, 1913. Serial No. 741,653.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, JOHN F. COURSON, ajcitizen of the United States, residing at `Pitcairn, in the county ofAllegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new l anduseful Improvements in Draft-Gears, of which the following is aspecification.v My inventionrelates to the class of draft gearing orrigging for railway cars, etc., and has for its object to provide Yadraft gear'of simple construction adapted for easy insertion in orremoval from the usual car framing, whereby it is, when so installed,`operable to perform its several intended functions, and whereby the gearmay be readily removed for repair or any other purposes and againinsertedwithout disarrangel ment of the frame.

The gear, as shown, is of the friction type, embodying a casing orcylinder and contained friction-creating elements operable by the actionof'a central wedge and supplemental expanding wedges and friction shoesadapted to engage the' inner face of the cylinder, of any suitable typeand not therefore illustrated in detail.

The present invention relates particularly to the removable mounting ofthe gear and i its parts as a whole, and the connection between thefrictional casing and the drawbar.

While the gear and its parts is adapted for incorporation with the usualstandard steel underframe construction, it is readily capable of usewith and adaptation to any other approved type of framing.

In the drawings illustrating preferred arrangements o the invention--Fiure 1 is a longitudinal sectional yiew, part y in elevation, showing theapparatus in normal position, indicated by the section line I. I. ofFig. 2. Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view, indicated by the sectionline II. II. of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical cross sectionalview,indic'ated by the line III. III. of Fig. 2. Fig. 4- is aperspective. detail view .of the friction casing, detached. Fig, 5 is asimilar view of one ofthe Ycor'ine'ctin armsv for the drawbar andcylinder. Figs. and 7 are sectional views, similar to Figs. 1 and 2illustrating modified4 constructions. Fig. 8

vis"a similar sectional view showing a further 'A mOdied construction,providing removable abutment-.s for the rentner.; Fig; 91st erasesection on the line IX. IX of Fi 8. 10 is a detail sectional view in pan, showing the reinforced bearing for one of 'said abutments, 'taken onthe line X. X. of Fig. 8.l

The drawings show the invention as applied to the structural framing ofa'car em-` odying the customar center sills 2, 2, arranged at each sideo the normal center of the frame and gear, having the usual top andbottom plates 3, 4, and if desired, an end sill, not shown. i h

The drawbar 5 extends throu h the usual front opening in the end sill,necessary supporting element at the front of any suitable constructionand which is not necessarily4 herein described, the'drawba'r beingpreferably enlarged at its rear 1 "portion to rovide 'a rear abuttingterminal 6, preferab y rectangular in construction.

It will be understood that the equipment is not necessarily dependentupon any particular construction or type of friction-producin'g Vorshock-absorbing mechanism. I have not 'therefore indicated lsuch indetail, but show at the rear portion o the apparatus a cylinder ofcasing 7 which may be understood to represent generally the casing vofany 'suitable "friction or spring mechanism, or both, constituting themain Vshock-,absorbing member o' the apparatus.

aving any Casing 7 abuts by its rear end against a` `substantlal backstopy8'moi1nted/between the' side members `2 constituting the centers'ill, by bolts or rivets 9', or in any other suitable manner. Thecasing rests by its bottom upon an under cross supporting bracket orstrap 10, secured inA any convenient way, as by bolts or rivets 11, tothe bottom plate 4. 'Casing'v 7 is provided at each side with laterallylextendingfgiidgcons or housings 12, 12, providing longitudinal receivingopenings 13 for the rear ends'of connecting arms or links 14. Said armsare provided at their rear ends with enlarged heads or .abutments 15, ofsuitable construction, and which are so designed as to iit neatly-against the op, posite Vsides ofte casing?, and to bear for-v wardlyagainst t e'rea'r Yportions of housing abutments12, as clearly shown.

The rear portion c of drawbar 5 abats,

either direc or through anyintervenin' construction, against averticallyAY arrange ollow'er 16. which turn is 'arranged to-enl gageand transmit either bung or pulling strains to or from the element orelements of the contained friction mechanlsm, as a central expandingwedge 17, shown in dotted lines. The mounting of said Wedge inthe casingand its connection or engagement with the follower may be in anypreferred or suitable manner and does not necessarily form any part ofthe present invention. Follower 16 engages, by its front terminal faces,resisting brackets 18, 18, rigidly secured to the center sill framing inany suitable manner, as by bolts or rivets, 19, cony,

neeting the brackets with plates 3 or 1.

The rear portion 6 of drawbar 5 is transversely apertured, as indicatedat 20, for the reception of a transverse key 21, extending outwardlybeyond the drawbar at each side thereof, as clearly shown. The forwardends of connecting arms 14 are similarly apertured and engage the endportions of drawbar key 21, cotter pins or other suitable devices 22being used to retain the parts in operative position. l Any spacebetween the sides of the drawbar and arms 14 is preferably occupied bysuitable fillers or washers 23. n

In the use of the construction with the ordinary or any suitable-friction or spring gear, or either, embodied with casing 7, thefollower 16 will be normally pressed forward against brackets orabutments 18 and against the rear end 6` of drawbar 5, as

casing bearing bac wardly against abutmentv8.

` For the purpose lof inserting the follower 16 without removal of stopabutments' 18, the bottom plate 4 may be cut away, as indicated at 24,the opening being closed by a supplemental cover plate 25, preferablyheld in position by bolts 26.

The operation of the gear. as thus constructed will be readily apparent.In buil"- ing, the drawbar carrying. with it follower 16, arms 14 at thesame time sliding freely backwardly through openings 13, follower 16forcing the wedge 17 and the other pressure-absorbing elements of casing7 into operative engagement, the pressure being absorbed andcounteracted by the back stop or abutment 8 against which the casingbears. In pulling, the drawbar key 21 will impart forward movement toarms 14, which inA turn draw the casing 7 and its contents forwardly byhousings 12 against the relatively stationary follower 16, stopabutments 18 transmitting the pulling strains to the car framing.

While I have shown thefollower 16 and arms 14 as arranged vertically, itwill be understood that these parts may be arranged horizontally, theopening 20, key 21 and stops 18 being correspondingly arranged willtravel backwardly, j

aoeaeie vertically, the parts operating in the same manner asabovedescribed. Figs. 6 and 7, however, show such alternativearrangement, but modied as to the connection of the arms 14EL with'thedrawhead 5, 6a, and secured thereto/by rivets or bolts 21a. The follower16a bears forwardly againststop abutments or brackets 18a secured to theside sills 2, the bottom plate 4c being cut out, if desired, in the samemanner as shown in Fig. 1. The construction and operation of the partsis otherwise substantially the same as above described, thecorresponding parts being numberedaccordingly, with the exponent a.-Figs 8 and 9 show the follower 16 bearing forwardly against resistingcross bars 18", 181?, extending across through suitable' receivingopenings 27, secured by cotters 22h, bearing by their ends against thecenter sills 2", 2b, and against reinforcing abutments 28 preferablyprovided and secured to the sills in any sultable manner, as by rivets29.: The bar 18b provides a substantial bearing `for the inner head 6bof the drawbar, on which it may slide longitudinally, the front orcoupling end of the drawbar being suitably supported on the 'end sill,or otherwise as preferred. Such front support may also be removablyattached, as by bolts, enabling the entire interior space of the underframe to be exposed. By this arrangement I am enabled to readily erector remove the entire installation by merely withdrawing the cross bars18", whereupon the entire gear and its parts may be readily removed fromthe framing. The other parts of the gear are substantially the same asheretofore described, the parts being indicated by correspondingnumerals having the exponent ,The inherent advantages of the inventionwill be readily appreciated by all those accustomed to this classofdevices. It will be observed that the entire gear is positioned withinor between the center sills and that there is no cutting thereofrequired, the construction facilitating the mounting or removal of theentire gear with comparative ease and economy of time. Thisis ofconsiderable advantage in initial equipment or in connection withrepairing any of the 115 parts. The several parts are so constructed andassembled as to be readily placedin the car framing; the transmission ofthe strains against the back stop and front abutments imparts thestrains directly to the main cen- 120 tral member of the car underframe;the seV-. eral parts are of simple, cheap and easy construction, andreadily inserted or connected or disconnected without' the necessity ofskilled labor. -There is several parts, and the transmission of thevarious forces and strains is direct and positive, while the connectionbetween the casL ing 7 and the drawbar avoids the necessity of the usualsurrounding strap construction, 13o

no weakening of the 1254 .while facilitating vreplacement or repair ofmentsadapted to engage therewith to effectA forward travel of theeasingwith the drawhar and to move rearwardly with the draw; barindependentlyv of the casing.

i2. ln a draft gear, the combination with the oar framing, of ashook-absorbing member having laterally extending apertured housings, adrawbar, arms fixedly connected with the drawbar passing through saidhous- 20 ings and having re'ar terminal abutments, a

follower interposed between the shook-absorbing member and the drawbar,and resisting cross-bars for the follower removably mounted in the carframing.

3. In a draft gear, the combination with the. ear framing having lateralopenings t-hereinand supplemental reinforcing abutments, of a shookabsorbing member having laterally extending apertured housings, adrawbar, arms fixedly connected with the drawbar passing through saidhousings and having rear terminal abutments, a follower interposedbetween the` shook-absorbing member and the drawbar, and resistingcross-bars for the follower extending through said openings in the carframing and bearing against said abut-ments.

ln testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence oftwo witnesses.

Jol-1N i?. ooURsoN.

Witnesses:

H. HECK, C. M. CLARKE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. Cl r

